Personal casting system

ABSTRACT

A profit redistribution device, profit redistribution method, program storage medium, profit redistribution system, content providing device, content providing method, program storage media, and content providing system are disclosed. Profit redistribution processing is performed according to the accumulated points proportionate to the number of times the content with a commercial video is provided to a client PC. Thus, a fair profit redistribution can be easily performed. A preset content with a commercial video is provided to a user when requested from the client PC, and it is possible to provide advertisement information without the user being aware of the commercial.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present continuation application claims the benefit of priorityunder 35 U.S.C. 120 to application Ser. No. 14/269,595 filed May 5,2014, which is a continuation of application Ser. No. 12/891,863 filedSep. 28, 2010, which is a continuation of application Ser. No.11/609,352, filed Dec. 12, 2006, which is a division of application Ser.No. 09/819,965 filed Mar. 28, 2001, the entire contents of each of whichare hereby incorporated by reference. The present application alsoclaims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C. 119 from JapaneseApplication Nos. 2000-097880 and 2000-097885, both filed on Mar. 30,2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a profit redistribution device, profitredistribution method, program storage medium, profit redistributionsystem, content providing device, content providing method, programstorage media, and content providing system, and more particularly, issuitably applied to a computer network system providing a contentthrough the Internet for example.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the case that a content consisting of videos and/or voices created byan individual is provided over the Internet in a computer networksystem, it has been generally practiced up until now that a user openshis/her homepage created with the use of the personal computer.

In such a case where an individual opens homepages as in the above, auser acquires a homepage creation program by means of a personalcomputer, based on which homepages are created, hyper-linked with aplurality of content, which are stored in the server of an Internetservice provider (this is referred to as “ISP” hereinafter).

The ISP provides homepages from the server to a client accessing itthrough the Internet, and when the anchor on the homepages is clicked, ahyper-linked content s provided subsequently.

With a banner advertisement displayed on the homepage, when a user of aclient clicks a banner advertisement, the ISP transmits the detailedcontent of the banner advertisement to let the client watch and listento it.

In such a computer network system as structured above, in the case thata banner advertisement is shown on a homepage, there has been a problemthat a content creator has not been distributed a share of the ISP'sprofits proportionate to the number of accesses of the content creator'scontent even though the large amount of accessing are made by clients tothat homepage is due to the high popularity of the content creator'scontent. However, this is in spite of the fact that the ISP receives theremuneration proportionate to the number of accesses to the homepagefrom the advertisement client.

Furthermore, in the above structured computer network system, however,to let a user watch and listen to the banner advertisement on thehomepage provided to the client, it is necessary to let the banneradvertisement be clicked. However, any banner advertisement not ofinterest to the user is not clicked. Thus, it is not always possible tolet the user watch and listen to the detailed content of the banneradvertisement.

Furthermore, it is not an easy job to create a homepage with a banneradvertisement with the personal computer, which has caused a problem offorcing a homepage creator to follow complicated operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing, a first object of the invention is to providea profit redistribution device, profit redistribution method, programstorage medium, and profit redistribution system capable of carrying outa fair profit redistribution proportionate to the number of accessesmade to the content with advertisement information.

It is a second object of the invention to provide a content providingdevice, content providing method, program storage media, and contentproviding system that may make it easier to provide advertisementinformation to users of clients.

The foregoing first object, as well as other objects, of the inventionhave been achieved by the provision of a profit redistribution device,profit redistribution method, program storage medium, and profitredistribution system in which advertisement information supplied froman advertisement client is affixed to a content supplied from contentstoring and providing means, thus storing up a content withadvertisement information, which is offered to clients over a networkresponding to demands from clients, resulting in creation of pointsproportionate to the number of providing the content with advertisementinformation to clients, thereby performing profit redistributionprocessing proportionate to the number of accumulated points to thecontent providing means.

The number of times of providing the content with advertisementinformation to clients is equivalent to the number of times theadvertisement information is provided to clients. Points are generatedproportionately to the number of times the content with advertisementinformation is offered. Accordingly, by performing profit redistributionprocessing proportionate to the number of accumulated points to thecontent providing means, a fair profit redistribution processing can berealized, proportionate to the number of times the content withadvertisement information is offered.

The foregoing second object, as well as other objects, of the inventionhave been achieved by the provision of a content providing device, acontent providing method, a program storage media, and a contentproviding system in which a content is stored in a given storage area aswell as a content with advertisement information created by appendingadvertisement information to the content, and providing means, and suchthat content providing condition data is received and retained, which ispreset to provide either a content or a content with advertisementinformation, followed by the selection of either the content or thecontent with advertisement information following the content providingcondition data upon receipt of a demand from a client. Therefore, eitherthe content or the content with advertisement information selected isprovided to the client from the content storage and providing means overa network.

When the content providing condition data is set to a mode to providethe content with advertisement information, the content withadvertisement information is provided to the client responding to thedemand for the content. Therefore, the user is forced to watch andlisten to the advertisement information without fail, without the userbeing aware of the existence of the advertisement information whendemanding the content.

The nature, principle and utility of the invention will become moreapparent from the following detailed description when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like parts aredesignated by like reference numerals or characters.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram used in explaining the principle of electroniccommercial dealings utilizing the Internet;

FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a contentproviding system of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a user PC;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a desktop screen;

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a user information registrationscreen;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a user information file;

FIG. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing the structure of a contentprovider;

FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing a user registration procedure processingsequence in the management server of an ASP;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram showing the content of a user informationDB table registered in user information database;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing a capture screen;

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram showing a confirmation screen;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram showing an editing screen;

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an on-demand type personalcasting control screen;

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a pulldown menu;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram showing my channel genre screen;

FIG. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a codec selection screen;

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram showing an on-demand type providingschedule management screen;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing a commercial providing requestscreen;

FIG. 19 is a schematic diagram showing a commercial link setup screen;

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing a content ID setup screen;

FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram showing the content of a on-demand typeproviding schedule control file;

FIG. 22 is a flowchart showing a connection processing sequence to anASP in the on-demand type;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the confirmation and changing processingsequence of a providing schedule;

FIG. 24 is a flowchart showing a casting processing sequence in theon-demand type;

FIG. 25 is a schematic diagram showing the homepage screen of a personalcasting service;

FIG. 26 is a schematic diagram showing the genre table screen for mychannel;

FIG. 27 is a schematic diagram showing a channel display screenregarding a “car” video genre;

FIG. 28 is a schematic diagram showing a content display screenindicating content matching a selected channel button;

FIG. 29 is a schematic diagram showing a live type personal castingcontrol screen;

FIG. 30 is a flowchart showing the display processing sequence of a livetype providing schedule management screen;

FIG. 31 is a schematic diagram showing a live type providing schedulemanagement screen for public channels;

FIG. 32 is a schematic diagram showing the content of live typeproviding schedule control file;

FIG. 33 is a flowchart showing a reservation processing sequence;

FIG. 34 is a schematic diagram showing a live type providing schedulemanagement screen for my channel;

FIG. 35 is a schematic diagram showing the content of a live typeproviding schedule control file for my channel;

FIG. 36 is a schematic diagram showing a reservation unable messagedisplay screen;

FIG. 37 is a flowchart showing a connection processing sequence to anASP in the live type;

FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing a casting processing sequence conductedthrough my channel in the live type;

FIG. 39 is a schematic diagram showing a live video schedule displayscreen for my channel;

FIG. 40 is a schematic diagram showing a content display screen showingthe content of a live video matching a selected channel button;

FIG. 41 is a flowchart showing a casting processing sequence conductedthrough a public channel in the live type;

FIG. 42 is a schematic diagram showing a channel display screen forpublic channels;

FIG. 43 is a schematic diagram showing a live video schedule displayscreen for public channels;

FIG. 44 is a schematic diagram showing a content display screenindicating the content of a live video selected at the music livechannel;

FIG. 45 is a schematic diagram showing a contribution amount selectionscreen;

FIG. 46 is a flowchart showing the providing processing sequence ofcontent with commercial video; and

FIG. 47 is a flowchart showing a profits redistribution processingsequence.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT

Preferred embodiments of this invention will be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings:

(1) Principle of Electronic Commerce Utilizing the Internet

The Internet is a computer network system configured by connecting agreat number of computers to one another by means of a communicationlink, which is designed such that information can be transmitted and/orreceived among the computers with the use of various services such ase-mail, Gopher, and World Wide Web (WWW).

As shown in FIG. 1, a WWW server 301 (also called “Web server” or “Website”, etc.), which provides a variety of services contained in the WWWto a client Personal Computer (PC) 302-1 to 302-N via the Internet,stores Web pages composed of graphic information such as figures andimages on the internal hard disk.

Each resource used on this WWW 301 or Web pages, etc., can be recognizedunmistakably with a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), an advertisementtechnique to make a distinction on the Internet 300.

Accordingly, when the URL of Web pages a user wants to peruse isappointed by the user for example following a specified transferprotocol for Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP) and so on, a client PC302-1 to 302-N connected to the Internet 300 makes a demand to the WWWserver 301 for reading the Web pages in accordance with the URL.

Upon receiving the Web pages transmitted from the WWW server 301 as aresult of the demand to the WWW server 301, the client PC 302-1 to 302-Nlets its display unit show the Web pages through a WWW browser stored inadvance on the internal hard disk of the client, thereby enabling theuser to read the Web pages.

A Web page is typically defined with the use of Hyper Text MarkupLanguage (HTML), and an HTML document defining the Web page includessigns called tags (reserved words) regulated by HTML which specify howthe Web page should be displayed.

For additional information, an HTML document includes various tags toindicate graphics, control, and other functions, and is concurrentlycapable of appointing as a linkage point the URL of a Web page usablewith a WWW server 301 or other WWW servers, from which the reading ofthe Web page is demanded.

Accordingly, Web pages are to be shown on the display unit of client PC302-1 to 302-N in a display method intended by the provider of the Webpages.

In recent years, however, the foregoing WWW has come into use inelectronic commerce utilizing the Internet 300.

In this case, Web pages composed of commodity catalogs electricallytabling products for sale, are prepared in a WWW server 301, which aretransmitted to a client PC 302-1 to 302-N owned by a client respondingto his/her demand for inspecting them.

In this way, a client PC 302-1 to 302-N lets the display unit show Webpages received from the WWW server 301 over the Internet 300,consequently letting a client inspect the catalogs of commodities forsale.

When a user specifies articles to purchase on the Web pages of thecommodity catalogs shown on the display unit, a client PC 302-1 to 302-Nnotifies the WWW server 301 of that effect over the Internet 300.

Upon receiving the purchase order, the WWW server 301 demands clientinformation from a client PC 302-1 to 302-N, and receives from a clientPC 302-1 to 302-N the client information including the name of a clientpurchasing products, credit card number owned by the client, and theaddress the products are to be delivered to.

Next, upon receipt of the above client information, the WWW server 301transmits a Web page to a client PC 302-1 to 302-N confirming an orderfor the products, and allowing the client to confirm the content of theorder on the Web page. Subsequently, the client arranges for the goodsto be delivered.

In electronic commercial dealings utilizing the Internet 300 in thisway, electronic commercial dealings can be applied to a variety of goodsin the form of an electronic content such as music, which iselectronically delivered to a clientele over the Internet 300, or tophysical products such as personal computers, which are delivered to aclientele by home delivery firms.

Incidentally there is another method to define Web pages in addition toHTML; namely what is called extensible Markup Language (XML). As is thecase with the HTML, XML uses tags, but XML is capable of expressing thestructure and meaning of a document, and of appointing attributes suchas hierarchical structure and data type for tags by Document TypeDefinition (DTD).

Accordingly, in the WWW server 301, if a Web page is defined with theuse of XML, data for information processing such as an order acceptancecode, commodity code, unit price, and quantity retained in advance indatabase, for example, can be embedded into various tags respectively,so that the Web page can be used not only for inspecting, but forautomatically carrying out information processing on calculating ordersusing data for information processing embedded into the tags.

(2) Structure of Content Providing System

The 1 in FIG. 2 shows a content providing system that realizeselectronic commercial dealings utilizing the Internet, which comprises aPersonal computer (PC) 2, which a content creator uses, a contentprovider 3 for storing a content created by the user PC 2 to be offeredas required by a client, plurality of client's PC 4 (4A to 4N) receivethe content specified on the Web site from the content provider 3, anonline communication sales company 6, with which a content creator doesonline shopping over the Internet 5 through a user PC 2, and acommercial client (called a commercial client hereinafter) 7 creating acommercial image (called commercial image hereinafter) and asking thecontent provider 3 to provide commercial images to the client PC 4, allconnected one another over the Internet 5.

This content providing system 1 is a system wherein profits the contentprovider 3 receives are duly redistributed to a content creator (this iscalled “profit redistribution” hereinafter) in accordance with thenumber of accesses a client PC 4 has made to a personal content createdwith a user PC 2, which may encourage the content creator to make moreexcellent contents, and which may configure an entirely new businessmodel over the Internet 5, with the aim of increasing the number ofaccesses a client PC 4 makes to Web sites. Further, profitredistribution (or profit give back) refers to a share of the profits tobe given back to the content creator.

A content provider 3, online communication sales company 6, andcommercial client 7 enclosed in the broken lines shown in FIG. 2, areaffiliated with one another and form a business alliance 8, whichperforms profit redistribution processing in various modes to a contentcreator (user PC 2).

(3) User Registration Procedure for User PC

In this content providing system 1 a user PC 2 first needs to carry outa user registration procedure in respect to a content provider 3, whichis explained in detail hereinafter.

As shown in FIG. 3, a user PC 2 comprises a CPU 10, hard disk drive(HDD) 12, Random Access Memory (RAM) 13, Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (IEEE) 1394 interface 14, network interface 16,and display unit 17 of a liquid crystal display, all connected to oneanother over a bus 11.

In a user PC 2 like this, in addition to Operating System (OS) or abasic program, various kinds of other application software are stored onthe HDD 12, which are turned on in RAM 13 as occasion arises to performa specific process.

That is, in the user PC 2, as shown in FIG. 4, when an online signupicon 20 on a desktop screen 19 (a Window screen of MicrosoftCorporation) appearing on the display unit 17, is clicked by a contentcreator with the OS turned on, the CPU 10 starts up an automatic onlinesignup software from the HDD 12, and lets the display unit 17 show auser information registration screen 21 as shown in FIG. 5.

This user information registration screen 21 is used to register userinformation when applying for a personal casting service as the screentitle indicates. Following the screen, a content creator enters his/hername, address, telephone number, e-mail address, date of birth, creditcard number, first desired user ID, second desired user ID, thirddesired user ID, desired channel name, password, password confirmation,and finally, selects either an “as-much-as-I-like course” or “beginner'scourse” as an application for the service.

The personal casting service is a content providing mode newly startedin the content providing system 1 of the present invention employing twocontent providing modes called an on-demand type and a live type,respectively. The details of these two content providing modes aredescribed in detail later in this document.

The user information registration screen 21 depicts a cancel button 22,used to void the content of user information entered by the contentcreator, and an application button 23, used to make an application withthe user information entered by the content creator.

Accordingly, when the application button 23 is clicked after the userinformation is entered, the CPU 10 of a user PC 2 creates a userinformation file 25 containing a content similar to that on the userinformation registration screen 21 (FIG. 5) as shown in FIG. 6, which istransmitted from a network interface 16 (FIG. 3) to the content provider3 in a given protocol over the Internet 5 (FIG. 2), and concurrentlywrites and retains the user information file 25 on the HDD 12.

A content provider 3 consists of an Internet service provider (called“ISP” hereinafter) 31 connecting a user PC 2 to the Internet 5 as shownin FIG. 7, and an application service provider (called “ASP”hereinafter) 32 storing contents supplied from a user PC 2, which areprovided to a client PC 4 as required.

An Internet service provider 31 includes: a control server 33 tosupervise the whole operation, charge management database 34 formanaging charges to a user PC 2, and a network interface 35 forconnecting the user PC 2 to a network over the Internet 5; all of whichare connected to one another over a Local Area Network (LAN) 42. Chargemanagement and network control are achieved under the control of thecontrol server 33.

A application service provider 32 includes: a management server 36 tosupervise the whole operation, user information database 37 to managethe user information file 25 of a user PC 2, a schedule managementdatabase 38 to manage the providing schedule of a content, contentserver 39 to store and provide a content, a viewer information database40 to manage viewer information regarding a client PC 4 (viewer) being awatcher and tabulator of a content, and commercial management database44 to store and manage a commercial image supplied from a commercialclient 7, to match it with the commercial image identification (ID); allof which are connected to one another over the LAN 43. Applicationservice provider is designed to conduct user information management, toprovide schedule management, to provide content storing, to provideprocessing, to provide viewer information management, and to providecommercial management under the control of the management server 36.

The content provider 3 receives a user information file 25 transmittedfrom a user PC 2 when conducting the user registration procedure at themanagement server 36 through the network interface 35 of the ISP 31 andthe network interface 41 of the ASP 32.

Upon receipt of the user information file 25, the management server 36of the ASP 32 starts a routine RT1 shown in FIG. 8 from the start stepand moves to step SP1, following a user registration procedure programinvoked out of the internal hard disk.

At step SP1, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out thecontent of the user information file 25 transmitted from a user PC 2 andchecks the number of figures of a credit card number, and, when thenumber of figures turns out to be correct, it proceeds to the next stepSP2.

If, however, the credit card number does not consist of correct figures,the management server 36 of the ASP 32 notifies the user PC 2 of thateffect over the Internet 5, prompting the user to enter the credit cardnumber with the correct figures.

The management server 36 of the ASP 32 accesses the user informationdatabase 37 at the step SP2, and checks to see whether the credit cardnumber of the user information file 25 transmitted is duplicated, and,if not, and only in this case, it proceeds to the next step SP3.

The management server 36 of the ASP 32 accesses the credit-grantingcheck server 26 of a credit card company with its network interface 41over the Internet 5, and check to see whether that credit card number isvalid at the step SP3, and only when the credit card number is in ausable state, it proceeds to the next step SP4.

At step SP4, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 accesses the userinformation database 37 again, and checks to see whether desired firstto third user IDs are already in use, and only when any of the first tothird desired user IDs is not used yet, it proceeds to the next stepSP5.

At step SP5, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 selects the unuseduser ID most highly desired out of the desired first to third IDs, andafter determining a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) matching the user ID,creates a user information DB table 45 as shown in FIG. 9 based on theuser information file 25, which is registered anew into a userinformation database 37. Then, it moves to step SP6.

Added to the user information DB table 45 newly registered into the userinformation database 37 are, in addition to the content of the userinformation file 25, a URL determined matching the user ID, number ofaccumulated points the content creator has acquired, which is needed forthe content creator when receiving a profits redistribution, user status(stage 1) indicating the rank of the user proportionate to the number ofaccumulated points, connection start time and date, connection end timeand date, Internet connection charges of the ISP 31 to the Internet 5 atthe current time, and service utilization charges for the appliedservice (“as-much-as-I-like course”) of the ASP 32.

In this way, after determining a URL matching a user ID, the managementserver 36 of the ASP 32 has the URL registered into the user informationdatabase 37, whereby granting a content creator a right to create amovie file of a content created by the individual content creator in theexclusive storage area predetermined in the content server 39 orientedto the URL.

Also, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 manages a user informationdata table 45 in the user information database DB 37 by the contentcreator, and increases and renews the number of accumulated points ofthe content creator in accordance with the number of accesses made by aclient PC 4, or alters the user status of the content creator inaccordance with the number of accumulated points, or renews variouskinds of data in order on connection start time and date, connection endtime and date, current Internet connection charges, and service usecharges for services applied.

The user status is the rating of a content creator proportionate to thenumber of accumulated points, rising from the lowest stage 1, to stage2, and then to professional stage. Such being the case, the higher theuser status of a content creator, more profit redistribution he/she mayreceive.

At step SP6, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 lets the networkinterface 41 notify the user PC 2 of a determined user ID as well as aURL matching the user ID over the Internet 5.

At this time, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to supply theuser PC 2 with automatic upload software so programmed as “toautomatically connect to the URL matching the user ID and automaticallywrite the movie file of a content created by the user PC 2 in theexclusive memory area in the content server 39 oriented to the URL.”

Thus the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 downloads the automatic upload softwareover the Internet 5, and displays the upload icon 27 of the automaticupload software on the desktop screen 19 (FIG. 4) based on the automaticupload software.

Then, when the upload icon 27 of the desktop screen 19 is clicked by thecontent creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 connects to the ASP 32 viathe ISP 31 over the Internet 5 according to the automatic uploadsoftware, and gives to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 theinstructions “to automatically write the movie file of a content in theexclusive memory area in the content server 39 oriented to the URL.”

Due to the above, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 can write themovie file of the content supplied from the user PC 2 in the exclusivememory area of the content server 39 based on the URL, and reads out themovie file of the content from the exclusive memory area of the contentserver 39 responding to a demand from a client PC 4. In response to thedemand, the movie file of the content is provided to the client PC 4.

In this way, once the automatic upload software is downloaded from theASP 32 with the user ID designated and URL determined according to theuser information registration procedure followed by the content creator,the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 makes it increasingly easier to upload themovie file of a content into the exclusive memory area of the contentserver 39 merely by the content creator performing a click operation onthe upload icon 2 without letting the content creator consciously enterthe URL.

As a result, in the content providing system 1, it is possible toconfigure a system as if to open a personal broadcast station offering acontent through one's own exclusive channel (this is called “my channel”hereinafter).

With the user registration procedure processing completed the managementserver 36 of the ASP 32 creates a user registration completionnotification mail at the step SP7, which is transmitted from the networkinterface 41 to the user PC 2 over the Internet 5, completing all theuser registration procedure processing at the step SP8.

Meanwhile, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to transmit apersonal user information DB table 45 as required to the control server33 of the ISP 31 to form a business alliance, a telephone company (notshown in figures) connects a communication line from the user PC 2 to anaccess point of the ISP 31, and to an online communication sales company6.

Consequently the control server 33 of the ISP 31 and the onlinecommunication sales company 6, are to hold the user information DB table45.

Accordingly, all the user PC 2 is asked to do is just perform the userregistration procedure processing at the very first, and is not forcedto follow a troublesome procedure whenever accessing an ISP 31, atelephone company, an online order sales company, and so on.

Incidentally, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to obtain acontent creator's consent in advance while conducting a userregistration procedure to transmit the content of a personal informationDB table 45 to the control server 33 of an ISP 31, a telephone company,and an online communication sales company 6.

(4) Mode of Personal Casting Service

In the content providing system of the present invention 1, there is anon-demand type and a live type as content providing modes in thepersonal casting service as mentioned before.

The on-demand type is a service wherein a content is stored in advancein the exclusive memory area of the content server 39 oriented to a URLof a user PC 2 obtained at the time of user registration for thepersonal casting service. A content is provided to a client PC 4 whenasked for by the client PC 4 through the exclusive memory area of thecontent server 39. On-demand type service functions as if it were theclient PC's own exclusive channel (my channel) or a personal broadcaststation.

On the other hand, live type is a service mode wherein many andunspecific registered users of the personal casting service use, on ashared basis, the exclusive memory area by dividing by the time scheduleof the exclusive memory area. In one embodiment, an exclusive memoryarea of the content server 39 designated by URLs exists for a pluralityof image channels of particular genres (e.g., wedding channel, musiclive channel, theater live channel, and event live channel). The contentof a live image reproduced by means of streaming is transmitted to aclient PC 4 asking for it via the exclusive memory area of the contentserver 39 in real time.

In this way, the live type mode is designed such that many andunspecific registered users can provide contents freely by reserving atime frame in which to use the exclusive memory area of the contentserver 39 designated by URLs by the video channel of a specific genre,whereby making it possible to provide a content of a live image to aclient PC 4 requesting it as if through a public video channel (this iscalled “public channel” hereinafter).

(5) Personal Casting Service by on-Demand Type

Next, a concrete explanation is given on the personal casting service bythe on-demand type of the content providing system 1.

(5-1) Content Creation Processing of on-Demand Type

The CPU 10 of a user PC 2 (FIG. 3) lets the display units 17 display acapture screen 50 as shown in FIG. 10 by first invoking image capturesoftware out of an HDD 12.

In this case, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 links a digital video camera18 connected through the IEEE1394 interface 14 and a capture screen 50turned on by the image capture software, followed by the setup of theon-demand mode by a content creator clicking a movie mode switchingbutton 53.

Then the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the content creator confirm animage photographed by the digital video camera 18 displayed on thefinder display area 51. Recording with the digital video camera 18 isstarted when the capture button 52 is clicked by the content creator,and recording is ended with the capture button 52 is clicked again.

At this time, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 captures animation datarecorded on the digital video camera 18 through the IEEE1394 interfaceresponding to the clicking of the capture button 52, which is oncerecorded on the HDD 12.

Next, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the display unit 17 show aconfirmation screen 55 according to the image capture software as shownin FIG. 11. On this confirmation screen 55 are formed a video displayarea 56 to display reproduced movie data once recorded on the HDD 12,time code display area 57 to indicate a time code for the movie databeing reproduced, date display area 58 to show the date of recording,operation buttons 59 to reproduce, stop, fast forward, or rewind moviedata, delete button 60 to delete part or the whole of movie data fromthe HDD 12, and OK button 61, which enables a content creator to confirmthe scenes of movie data recorded on the confirmation screen 55 and toedit them so as to have the only desired scenes kept.

When the content creator clicks the OK button 61 after confirming andediting the scenes of the recorded movie data on the confirmation screen55, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 next invokes edit software out of theHDD 12, and lets the display unit 17 show an edit screen 65 as shown inFIG. 12.

Edit screen 65 includes three types of confirmation screen display areas66 to 68 capable of displaying the confirmation screen 55 for the moviedata recorded with the digital video camera 18, an order button 69 todetermine a composition order for the three kinds of movie data, acomposition button 70 to compose the three kinds of movie data in adetermined composition order, and an OK button 71.

Accordingly, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 determines a composition orderfor the three kinds of movie data with the order button 69 clicked bythe content creator, and creates a movie file by compounding the threekinds of movie data in accordance with the determined composition orderresponding to the click of the composition button 70, which is oncestored on the HDD 12 as a content to be stored in the content server 39of the ASP 32.

(5-2) Schedule Reservation in the on-Demand Type

Subsequently, when the OK button 71, or upload icon 27 on the desktopscreen 19 (FIG. 4) is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of theuser PC 2 turns on the automatic upload software downloaded in advancefrom the ASP 32 at the time of user registration, and lets the displayunit 17 display an on-demand type personal casting control screen 75 asshown in FIG. 13.

The on-demand type personal casting control screen 75 includes theletters “On-Demand” in the mode display area 76 indicating that theon-demand mode is set up currently, and the company name of the ISP 31in an ISP name display area 77 automatically. The letters “My Channel”in an ASP channel display area 78, which is set up automatically in theon-demand mode, is also displayed on the on-demand type personal castingcontrol screen 75.

Also, an option button 81 is located on the on-demand type personalcasting control screen 75, and when this option button 81 is clicked bythe content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 displays a pulldown menu 85as shown in FIG. 14 on the on-demand type personal casting controlscreen 75 based on the automatic upload software.

This pulldown menu 85 includes a genre setup button 85A used to appointa video genre to a content created by the content creator, a CODECselection button 85B used to select a codec when providing a content toa client PC 4 requesting it, a schedule reservation button 85C used toenable the content creator to freely determine a content providingschedule, a commercial providing request button 85D used to provide acommercial image affixed to the head portion of a content as desired bythe content creator, a commercial link setup button 85E used to link toa homepage of, for example, a commercial sponsoring company from acommercial video, and a content ID setup button 85F used to set up acontent ID suitable for a content.

When the genre setup button 85A is clicked by the content creator out ofthe pulldown menu 85, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17indicate “my channel genre” display screen 90 as shown in FIG. 15 basedon the automatic upload software.

The “my channel genre” screen 90 displays category icons 91 to 99assorted by video category for the content creator to appoint a videogenre to the content. When any one (“car” category icon 92 for example)of them is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2acknowledges the video genre of a content as “car”, and the result ofwhich is once retained on the HDD 12 as the category data.

Also, when the CODEC selection button 85B out of the pulldown menu 85 isclicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets thedisplay unit 17 display a codec selection screen 100 as shown in FIG. 16on a basis of the automatic upload software.

CODEC selection screen 100 includes options for a variety of codecs,which include, for example, Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) 4, MPEG2, or Real G2. When providing a content to a client PC 4, if a checkmark is put on the MPEG 4, for example, by the content creator, the CPU10 of the user PC 2 recognizes the type of a codec as MPEG 4, the resultof which is once retained on the HDD 12 as the codec type data.

Furthermore, when the schedule reservation button 85C out of thepulldown menu 85 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of theuser PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display an on-demand type schedulemanagement screen 105 as shown in FIG. 17 on a basis of the automaticupload software.

The on-demand type schedule management screen 105 includes a calendardisplay area 106, video table display area 107, schedule content displayarea 108, decision button 109, schedule content confirmation button 110,and schedule content renewal button 111.

When the content creator click-selects a desired date (e.g., February19) when a content is to be provided in the calendar display area 106 onthis on-demand type providing schedule management screen 105, the CPU 10of the user PC 2 acknowledges a providing date desired by the contentcreator as February 19. Consequently, February 19 is once retained onthe HDD 12 as the providing date data, and the providing date (February19) automatically written and displayed on the title area in theschedule display area 108.

When a time schedule appoint bar 112 is appointed by the content creatorby clicking to a desired start time and an end time in the schedulecontent display area 108 on the on-demand type providing schedulemanagement screen 105, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 acknowledges the timeschedule frame from start time to end time, and simultaneously displaysthe time schedule appoint bar 112 segmented by time schedule framesappointed by the content creator.

The time schedule bar 112 in the schedule content display area 108 isdisplayed, segmented into first time schedule frame from 6:00 to6:59:59, second time schedule frame from 7:00 to 7:59:59, third timeschedule frame from 8:00 to 8:59:59, fourth time schedule frame from9:00 to 10:59:59, fifth time schedule frame from 21:00 to 21:59:59, andsixth time schedule frame from 22:00 to 23:59:59.

Subsequently, when a desired sign of the kinds (MA, MB, or MC)indicating the kinds of videos (e.g., 4WD, sports car, electric car) isclicked out of the video table display area 107 with a desired timeschedule frame on the time schedule appoint bar 112 click-selected bythe content creator at the same time, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2recognizes the video kind of a content to be offered out of the selectedfirst to sixth time schedule frames by the kind sign (MA, MB, or MC),and the recognized kind signs are displayed within the time scheduleframes respectively on the time schedule appoint bar 112.

Then, when the decision button 109 is clicked on the on-demand typeproviding schedule management screen 105, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2creates a providing schedule program to provide a content in thedetermined kind reserved for each of the first to sixth time scheduleframes on the time schedule appoint bar 112, which is once retained onthe HDD 12.

The providing schedule program is programmed to provide the content of“4WD” corresponding to the kind sign MA when it receives a demand for atime within the first time schedule frame on the time schedule appointbar 112 from a client PC 4; to provide the content of “sports car”corresponding to the kind sign MB when it receives a demand for a timewithin the second time schedule frame from a client PC 4; to provide thecontent of “4WD” corresponding to the kind sign MA when it receives ademand for a time within the third time schedule frame from a client PC4; to provide the content of “sedan” corresponding to the kind sign MCwhen it receives a demand for a time within the fourth time scheduleframe from a client PC 4; to provide the content of “sports car”corresponding to the kind sign MB when it receives a demand for a timewithin the fifth time schedule frame from a client PC 4; and to providethe content of “4WD” corresponding to the kind sign MA when it receivesa demand for a time within the sixth time schedule frame from a clientPC 4.

Furthermore, when the commercial providing request button 85D from amongthe pulldown menu 85 (FIG. 14) is clicked by the content creator, theCPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the display unit 17 show a commercialproviding request screen 115 as shown in FIG. 18 based on the automaticupload software.

The commercial providing request screen 115 displays a commercialdesired button 115A and a commercial undesired button 115B. Thesebuttons ask the content creator whether he/she wishes to provide aclient PC 4 with a commercial video affixed to the head portion ofhis/her content, so that only when the commercial desired button 115A isclicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 createscommercial desired data indicating that a commercial video is desired tobe affixed to the content, which is once retained on the HDD 12.

Furthermore, when the commercial link setup button 85E out of thepulldown menu 85 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of theuser PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display a commercial link setupscreen 116 as shown in FIG. 19 based on the automatic upload software.

Commercial link setup screen 116 displays a commercial link Yes button116A used to set up an anchor to link to the homepage of a commercialsponsoring company for example from the commercial video initiallyaffixed to the content, and a commercial link No button 116B used not toset up linkage from the commercial video. Only when the commercial linkYes button 116A is clicked by the content creator will the CPU 10 of theuser PC 2 creates commercial link data to the effect that an anchor isdesired to be set up to link to a given homepage from the commercialvideo, which is once retained on the HDD 12.

Furthermore, when the content ID setup button 85F is clicked by thecontent creator out of the pulldown menu 85, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2lets the display unit 17 shows a content ID setup screen 117, as shownin FIG. 20 based on the automatic upload software.

A content ID input area 117A is formed on the content ID setup screen117 when the execute key is depressed with a given content ID matching acontent entered by the content creator. The CPU 10 of the user PC 2acknowledges the content ID, which is once retained on the HDD 12.

In this way, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 sets up various conditions foroffering a content according to the pulldown menu 85 displayed byclicking the option button 81 on the personal casting control screen 75.The CPU 10 newly creates an on-demand type providing schedule controlfile 120 as shown in FIG. 21 based on the various kinds of data (i.e.,category data, codec kind data, providing schedule program, commercialdesired data, commercial link data, and content ID) once recorded on theHDD 12, and the content of the user information file 25 created when theuser registration procedure processing was performed, which is oncerecorded on the HDD 12.

In the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 once retainedon the HDD 12 is stored as an ISP name (*****) as an “ISP connectionpoint” used in connecting to the Internet 5, a channel type (my channel)as “ASP channel” at the time when the ASP 32 provides content, contentID (***) determined by the content creator as “content ID”, CODEC (MPEG4) is stored as “CODEC” at the time of providing content, video category(car) is stored as “video genre”, content (various conditions such as“schedule to be provided from 6:00 February 19”) of providing scheduledata is stored as “providing schedule,” a with/without commercialproviding request (with commercial) is stored as “commercial request”, awith/without commercial link (without commercial link) is stored as“commercial link”, a user ID (kimkim) is stored as “user ID at the timeof user registration, and a password (*****) is stored as “password” atthe time of user registration.

Accordingly, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 lets the video genre displayarea 79 on the on-demand type personal casting control screen 75 (FIG.13) display the letters “car” indicating the video category of contentbased on the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120, and theletters “to be provided from 6:00 February 19” on the providing schedulereservation area 80.

It has been explained in effect that commercial link and a content IDare set up by the user PC 2 with the use of the pulldown menu 85.However, they may be set up automatically on the side of the managementserver 36 of ASP 32.

As to the commercial link setup for example, when a link appointment hasbeen made in advance by a commercial client 7, the commercial link ismade automatically to a commercial determined to be provided by a clientPC 4.

Also, when an image is uploaded for example, a content ID is set upautomatically on the side of the management server 36 of the ASP 32.Thus, it possible to manage an image on the management server 36 of theASP 32 with this ID.

(5-3) Connection Processing to ASP in on-Demand Type

Next, when the content of the on-demand type personal casting controlscreen 75 (FIG. 13) is confirmed by the content creator with theclicking of the connect button 82, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 starts aroutine RT2 shown in FIG. 22 at the start step following the automaticupload software, and moves on to step SP11.

At step SP11, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs into the ASP 32 from thenetwork interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and through the ISP31, and accesses the user information database 37 of the ASP 32 toobtain authentication based on the user ID, password, and so on, andthen moves to step SP12.

Having obtained authentication of the ASP 32 at step SP12, the CPU 10 ofthe PC 2 reads out an on-demand type providing schedule control file 120and the movie file of the content from the HDD 12, which are transferredto the management server 36 from the network interface 16 via theInternet 5, network interface 35 of the ISP 31, and network interface 41of the ASP 32, and proceeds to the next step SP13, terminating theprocessing.

In this way, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 is designed to be capable ofuploading the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 and themovie file of the content into the ASP 32 following the automatic uploadsoftware.

Upon receipt of the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120and the movie file of the content through the network interface 41, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 registers the on-demand typeproviding schedule control file 120 into the providing schedulemanagement database 38, and stores the movie file of the content in theexclusive memory area of the content server 39 oriented to the URLobtained at the time of user registration by the user PC 2.

In the case of a commercial providing request “with commercial” as thecontent of the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a movie file with acommercial by affixing a commercial video supplied in advance by thecommercial client 7 and stored in the commercial control database 44 tothe head portion of the movie file of the content, which is retained inthe content server 39 once again.

In the meantime, the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges to the userID of the user PC 2 an Internet connection charge occurring while theuser PC 2 is uploading the on-demand type providing schedule controlfile 120 and the movie file of the content into the ASP 32, and renewsthe charge data of the charge management database 34.

Also, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 charges the service usecharge of the ASP 32 to the user ID of the user PC 2, of which data istransmitted to the charge management database 34 via the networkinterface 41 and the network interface 35 of the ISP 31, and renews thecharge data of the charge management database 34.

Incidentally, when the user PC 2 has a contract for a fixed chargeservice called “as-much-as-I-like course”, the control server 36 of theASP 32 records in the user information database 37 the connection timefrom connection start time and date to connection end time and date onlywithout performing charge processing with the service use chargeremaining fixed.

In the case where the content of the on-demand type providing schedulecontrol file 120 is confirmed after the on-demand type providingschedule control file 120 and the movie file of the content are uploadedinto the ASP 32, the only thing the content creator has to do is justclick the schedule content confirmation button 110 on the on-demand typeproviding schedule management screen 105 (FIG. 17).

At this time the CPU 10 of the PC 2 starts a routine RT3 shown in FIG.23 at the start step, and proceeds to step SP15 following the automaticupload of software.

With the schedule content confirmation button 110 clicked by the contentcreator the CPU 10 of the PC 2 performs log-in processing to the ASP 32from the network interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and ISP 31 atthe step SP15, and obtains authentication on the user ID, and password,etc., by accessing the user information database 37 of the ASP 32, andthen proceeds to the next step SP16.

The management server of the ASP 32 obtains authentication on the userID, and password, etc. The CPU 10 of the PC 2 is supplied with theon-demand type providing schedule control file 120 from the providingschedule management database 38 at the step SP16, and lets the displayunit 17 show the on-demand type providing schedule management screen 105(FIG. 17) once again based on the on-demand type providing schedulecontrol file 120.

Like this, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display theon-demand type providing schedule management screen 105, so that thecontent creator can reconfirm the content of the on-demand typeproviding schedule control file 120.

In the case that the content creator tries to modify the content of theon-demand type providing schedule control file 120 later, when thedecision button 109 is clicked after the modification of the providingschedule is made on the on-demand type providing schedule managementscreen 105, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 proceeds to the next step SP17.

At step SP17 the CPU 10 of the PC 2 creates a new providing schedulebased on the content modified on the on-demand type providing schedulemanagement screen 105, based on which a new on-demand type providingschedule control file 120 is created, and then it proceeds to the nextstep SP18.

When the renewal button 111 on the on-demand type providing schedulemanagement screen 105 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 ofthe PC 2 transfers the new on-demand type providing schedule controlfile 120 to the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, and proceeds to the nextstep SP19, terminating the processing.

As a result, the control server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the providingschedule management database 38 with the new on-demand type providingschedule control file 120, based on which the providing schedule of thecontent is to be managed in future.

(5-4) Content Providing Processing in on-Demand Type

A client PC 4, too, can make user registration to a content provider 3when receiving a content similarly as a user PC 2 can, and in this casea user registration procedure should be made following the userregistration processing procedure of the routine RT1 (FIG. 8), then aviewer information file with respect to the user ID and password of theclient PC 4 is registered in the viewer information database 40 by thecontrol server 36 of the ASP 32.

In the case that user registration is not made, a client PC 4 may accessdirectly, as a visitor, the web site of the personal casting serviceprovided by the ASP 32. The only user-registered client PC 4 is allowedto make a contribution easily to the content creator of a content, bywhich the client is moved, or with which the client sympathizes, orwhich the client feels excellent. Explanation is given on thecontribution later.

In practice, in such a case that a content is provided to auser-registered client PC 4 in the on-demand type for example, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 starts a routine RT4 shown in FIG. 24at the start step following a content providing program invoked from thehard disk installed inside of it, and then proceeds to the step SP21.

At step SP21, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is logged in by theclient PC 4 and proceeds to the next step SP22, referring to the viewerinformation file in the viewer information database 40 based on of theuser ID and password sent from the client PC 4.

As a result of having referred to the viewer information file in theviewer information database 40 based on the user ID and password at thestep SP22, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether theclient PC 4 logging in is a legitimate registered user.

A negative result, if obtained here, means that the user ID and passworddo not match those registered in the viewer information database 40,then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 returns to the step SP21,and lets the client PC 4 perform log-in processing again, prompting theclient PC 4 to enter the correct user ID and password.

On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained at the stepSP22, it means that the client PC 4 is a regular registered user, thenthe management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves to the next step SP23.

At step SP23 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads the HTML fileof a homepage in the personal casting service from the content server 39responding to an access by the client PC 4, which is transmitted to theclient PC 4 from the network interface 41 over the Internet 5.

The client PC 4 having almost the same structure as the user PC 2 has,includes a CPU (not shown in figure) that receives the HTML file of ahomepage in the personal casting service transmitted from the ASP 32,which is displayed on the display unit as a homepage screen 125(Netscape Communication Corp's Netscape navigator screen) as shown inFIG. 25.

This homepage screen 125 displays an on-demand type my channel selectionbutton 127 to receive a supply of a content on an on-demand modeselection display area 126 through my channel as well as a live typepublic channel selection button 129 to receive a supply of a content ofa live video on a live mode selection display area 128 through a publicchannel, and a live type my channel selection button 130 to receive asupply of a content of a live video through my channel.

When the on-demand type my channel selection button 127 is clicked bythe user on this homepage screen 125, the CPU of the client PC 4transmits to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5a mode selection signal indicating the selection of the on-demand typemy channel selection button 127.

At step SP24, the management server 36 retrieves an HTML fileconstituting a genre table screen for my channel from the content server39 based on the mode selection signal transmitted from the client PC 4,which is transmitted to the client PC 4 from the network interface 41over the Internet 5.

Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the genretable screen for my channel transferred from the ASP 32, which isdisplayed on the display unit as the genre table screen 135 for mychannel as shown in FIG. 26.

This genre table screen 135 for my channel is almost similar to thegenre table screen 90 (FIG. 15) for my channel the content creator usesin selecting a video genre of content, with a category icon 136 to 144assigned to each video category displayed on it.

When any one (e.g., “car” category icon 137) of those category icons 136to 144 is clicked by the user of the client PC 4 on the genre tablescreen 135 for my channel, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits to themanagement server 36 over the Internet 5 a genre selection signalcorresponding to the “car” category icon 137.

At step SP25, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 retrieves the HTMLfile of the channel display screen as to the video category “car” fromthe content server 39 based on the genre selection signal transmittedfrom the client PC 4, which is transmitted to the client PC 4 from thenetwork interface 41 over the Internet 5.

In this way the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of thechannel display screen transmitted from the ASP 32, which is displayedon the display unit as a channel display screen 150 regarding the videogenre “car” as shown in FIG. 27.

On this channel display screen 150 are displayed channel buttons 151 to159, each assigned with a channel name (Kimura Ch) set up in the userinformation DB table 45 (FIG. 9) at the time when the content creatorconducted user registration processing. A user is to click-select adesired channel button (e.g., Kimura Ch) out of them.

At the step SP26 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether adesired channel button 155 is click-selected by the user of the clientPC 4 watching the channel display screen 150.

In this case, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits to the managementserver 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5 a content ID set upresponding to the channel button 155 selected by the user.

Accordingly, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 acknowledges that adesired channel button 155 is clicked at the place where the content IDis received, and captures a URL matching the channel button 155,referring to the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120stored in the providing schedule management database 38 based on thecontent ID.

A negative result, if obtained at this step SP26, means that none of thechannel buttons 151 to 159 displayed on the channel display screen 150is selected by the user, and then the management server 36 of the ASP 32stands by until any one of the channel buttons 151 to 159 is selected.

If an affirmative result is obtained at step SP26, however, it meansthat a user-desired channel button 151 is click-selected out of thechannel buttons 155 to 159, and then the management server 36 of the ASP32 proceeds to the next step SP27.

Upon receipt of a content ID matching a clicked channel (e.g., KimuraCH) 155 from the client PC 4 over the Internet 5, the management server36 of the ASP 32 refers to the on-demand type providing schedule controlfile 120 based on the content ID, and retrieves a movie file withcommercial of a certain kind (MA, MB, or MC) of a video to be providedat the timing of the channel button 155 clicked from the exclusivememory area in the content server 39 based on a URL matching the contentID, which (retrieved movie file) is transmitted to the client PC 4 overthe Internet 5, and then it goes to the next step SP28, terminating theprocessing.

In practice, if a channel button (e.g., Kimura Ch) 155 is clicked by theuser at 10:55 a.m. on February 19 for example, the management server 36of the ASP 32 refers to the on-demand type providing schedule controlfile 120 and transmits to the client PC 4 the movie file with commercialof a movie kind “Sedan” in accordance with the providing schedule on theschedule content display area 108 appointed on the on-demand typeproviding schedule management screen 105 (FIG. 17).

Due to this, the client PC 4 lets the display unit display a contentdisplay screen 165 as shown in FIG. 28 based on the movie file withcommercial received, and a commercial movie is first displayed in adisplay area 166 formed in the center of the content display screen 165,with an animated image of a car “sedan” displayed subsequently.

In this way, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to transmit tothe client PC 4 one kind of a movie file with commercial to be providedat the timing when a channel button 151 to 159 is clicked by the user ofthe client PC 4 in accordance with the content of the on-demand typeproviding schedule control file 120.

Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is capable of transmittinga content swiftly without delay, consuming a narrower bandwidth of atransmission line, even when transmitting the same content to aplurality of clients PC4 almost at the same time responding to theirdemands, compared to the case where a plurality of contents need to betransmitted simultaneously at a certain timing.

Also, at this time the management server 36 of the ASP 32 counts thenumber of the clicks by a client PC 4 as the access number every time amovie file with commercial is provided to a client PC 4 responding tothe click operation.

In this case, the access times counted being equivalent to the number ofpeople watching the commercial video, the management server 36 of theASP 32 is designed to give points proportionate to the number of accesstimes to the content creator, so that a fair profit redistribution goesto the content creator who creates a most frequently accessed content,with the points of that content creator registered in the userinformation DB table 45 matching the user ID, which is stored in theuser database 37.

(6) Personal Casting Service in Live Type

Next, a concrete explanation is given on the personal casting service bythe live type of a content providing system 1.

(6-1) Schedule Reservation in the Live Type

In the live type, to provide a content of a live video in real time itis not necessary to create the movie file of a content and to have itstored in the content server 39 of the ASP 32 in advance as done in theon-demand type.

In the live type, however, since a content is to be provided through acommon public channel (wedding ceremony channel, music live channel,theater live channel, or event live channel), it is necessary to reservein advance a time schedule frame in which to use a public channel.

To reserve a time schedule frame in which to use a public channel is toreserve a time schedule frame in which to use the exclusive memory areaof the content server 39 assigned, oriented to the URL of each publicchannel.

In practice, when the ASP 32 provides a content of a live video, it oncewrites the movie file of a live video sent from a user PC 2 in theexclusive memory area of the content server 39 appointed with the URLfor each public channel, which is retrieved to be output.

To make a reservation for a time schedule frame in which to use a publicchannel the CPU 10 of the PC 2 first lets the display unit 17 display acapture screen 50 (FIG. 10) by turning the image capture software on asis the case with the on-demand type. After the live mode is set upresponding to the click operation of the movie mode switching button 53on the capture screen 50, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 invokes the automaticupload software downloaded in advance from the ASP32 at the time of userregistration, and lets the display unit 17 display a live type personalcasting control screen 170 as in FIG. 29, which has the same referencenumerals as those assigned to the corresponding parts in FIG. 13.

The live type personal casting control screen 170 displays the letters“LIVE” indicating that the live mode is set up currently on the modedisplay area 171, displays the letters “PUBLIC CHANNEL” set as defaultin the live mode on the ASP channel display area 172, and displays aschedule reservation button 173 in place of the option button 81 on theon-demand type personal casting control screen 75 (FIG. 13).

The live type personal casting control screen 170 also displays the nameof a public channel (e.g., “MUSIC LIVE”) on a video genre display area79 determined by the content creator at the time of reserving a timeschedule frame, out of four (4) types of channels: wedding ceremonychannel, music live channel, theater live channel, and event livechannel set up as public channels.

Furthermore, the live type personal casting control screen 170 displaysthe providing time and date of a content of a live video reserved by thecontent creator, in the providing schedule reservation display area 80as done in the on-demand type.

In the live type personal casting control screen 170 described above,when the schedule reservation button 173 is clicked by the contentcreator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 turns on the automatic upload softwaredownloaded from the ASP 32, and starts a routine RT5 shown in FIG. 30,at the start step, and proceeds to step SP31.

At step SP31, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs in to the ASP 32 from thenetwork interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and through the ISP31, and obtains authentication based on the user ID, and password, etc.,by accessing the user information database 37 of the ASP 32, then moveson to step SP32.

At step SP32, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 receives over the Internet 5 a livetype providing schedule control file on the reservation status of thepublic channel retrieved by the management server 36 of the ASP 32 fromthe providing schedule management database 38, which is recorded on theHDD, and it proceeds to step SP33.

At step SP33, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display alive type providing schedule management screen 175, as shown in FIG. 31,for a public channel based on the live type providing schedule controlfile on the reservation status of a public channel supplied from theASP32, and then it terminates the processing at the next step SP34.

This live type providing schedule management screen 175 displays four(4) types of public channel buttons: wedding ceremony Ch button 176,music live Ch button 177, theater live Ch button 178, and live event Chbutton 179, oriented to a wedding ceremony channel, music live channel,theater live channel, and event live channel respectively.

When the music live Ch button 177 is clicked for example by a contentcreator out of the four types of public channels, the CPU 10 of the PC 2displays in a schedule content display area 180 the current reservationstatus of the “MUSIC LIVE CHANNEL” based on the live type providingschedule control file.

On a schedule time plan table 182 in the schedule content display area180 is displayed the reservation status on the date of the current dayas a default, and when a desired reservation data (e.g., February 19) inthe calendar display area 181 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU10 of the PC 2 displays a reservation status of a desired reservationdate (February 19) regarding the music live channel in the schedule timeplan table 182 based on the live type providing schedule control file.

The content creator is to confirm the reservation status on a desiredreservation date (February 19) displayed on the schedule time plan table182 and to appoint a desired start time (e.g., 10:00) and end time(10:59:59) out of the “vacant” time schedule of a time schedule appointbar 183 with the cursor, whereby determining a time schedule frame 183Afor a content of a live video to be provided.

By performing the above processing, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 acknowledgesas the reserved time schedule frame data the start time and end time ofthe time schedule frame 183A specified by the content creator, which isadditionally written in the live type providing schedule control file,displaying “FULL” in the time schedule frame 183A.

If the content creator enters the name (e.g., “xx tour”) of a content tobe provided in the reserved time schedule frame 183A, that name isautomatically added to the live type providing schedule control fileoriented to a given content ID.

When a check mark is affixed to the MPEG 4 for example as a codec whenproviding a content of a live video out of the codec selection displayarea 184, the CPU 10 of the user PC 2 acknowledges the type of aselected codec as MPEG 4, the result of which is added to the live typeproviding schedule control file as the codec type data.

Out of a commercial desired button 185 by which a client PC 4 wants acommercial video provided, affixed to the head portion of content, and acommercial undesired button 186 by which the client PC 4 indicates thata commercial video is not desired to be provided, when the commercialdesired button 185 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of thePC 2 creates commercial desired data by which a commercial video isdesired to be affixed to the content of a live video, which is added tothe live type providing schedule control file.

Thus, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 performs various settings to provide acontent of a live video through a music live channel as a publicchannel, thereby creating a new live type providing schedule controlfile 189 as shown in FIG. 32, which is once recorded on the HDD 12.

In the live type providing schedule control file 189 there is stored anISP name (*****) used when connecting to the Internet 5 as an “ISPconnection destination”, there is stored channel type (public channel)used as an “ASP channel” when the ASP provides a content of a livevideo, there is stored the title (xx tour) of a content as the “name ofa content”, there is stored a codec (MPEG 4) as “CODEC” at the time ofproviding, there is stored a type of a public channel (music livechannel) selected by the content creator as a “public channel” matchinga content of a live video, there is stored a time and date (variousconditions such as a providing schedule from 10:00, February 19), thereis stored a with/without commercial providing request (with commercial)as “commercial request”, there is stored a user ID (kimkim) as the “userID” at the time of user registration, and there is stored a password(*****) as the “password” at the time of user registration.

When the reservation button 187 on the live type providing schedulemanagement screen 175 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 ofthe PC 2 starts a routine RT6 at the start step, and then moves on tostep SP41 following the automatic upload of the software.

At step SP41, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs in to the ASP 32 with thenetwork interface 16 (FIG. 3) over the Internet 5 and through the ISP31, and obtains authentication based on the user ID and password, etc.,by accessing the user information database 37 of the ASP 32, and then itproceeds to step SP42.

At step SP42, having obtained authentication of the ASP 32, the CPU 10of the PC 2 transfers a newly created live type providing schedulecontrol file 189 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over theInternet 5, and it proceeds to step SP43.

Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the providingschedule management database 38 with the use of the live type providingschedule control file 189 transferred from the user PC 2, andsubsequently reads out the live type providing schedule control file 189again from the providing schedule management database 38, which is sentback to the user PC 2.

At this time the management server 36 of the ASP 32 charges, oriented tothe user ID, as a service use charge, a reservation fee for performingreservation processing anew to have the content of a live video providedto the user PC 2, and renews the user information DB table 45 in theuser information database 37.

At step SP43, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 receives a supply of the renewedlive type providing schedule control file 189 with the providingschedule management database 38 renewed, and lets the display unit 17display the live type providing schedule management screen 175 again forconfirmation based on the live type providing schedule control file 189,and it proceeds to step SP44, terminating the processing.

The live type providing schedule management screen 175 displayed at thistime is with the time schedule frame 183A indicated, segmented in aspecific color, with the letters “FULL” for confirmation on the part ofthe content creator, whereby the content creator can easily acknowledgesthe schedule of a content reserved by himself/herself.

In such a case, however, that a reservation can not be made due to theindication of “FULL” for a desired time schedule frame on the timeschedule appoint bar 183 in the schedule time plan table 182, in which acontent of a live video is to be provided as a result of confirming thereservation status indicated in the schedule content display area 180 onthe live type providing schedule management screen 175 (FIG. 31) for apublic channel, a content of a live video can not be provided throughthat public channel.

If the my channel button 188 is clicked by the content creator locatedat the lower part of the live type providing schedule management screen175 at such a time, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 receives a supply of anon-demand type schedule control file 120 in the providing schedulemanagement database 38 from the management server 36 of the ASP 32, anddisplays a live type providing schedule management screen 190 for mychannel as shown in FIG. 34 appears based on the on-demand typeproviding schedule control file 120.

My channel schedule content display area 191 includes: my channel genretable area 195, codec selection area 205, commercial desired button 206,commercial not desired button 207, and reservation button 208. The livetype providing schedule management screen 190 for this my channel isdesigned to be capable of making a reservation for providing a contentof a live video utilizing a “vacant” time schedule other than thereserved time schedule frames (time schedule frames indicated by MA andMB) on the time schedule appoint bar 194, in which a content is to beprovided in the on-demand type.

In this case, too, when a desired reservation date (e.g., February 19)in the calendar display area 192 in the my channel schedule contentdisplay area 191 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC2 has the reservation status on a desired reservation date (February 19)for my channel displayed on the schedule time plan table 193 based onthe on-demand type providing schedule control file 120.

Accordingly, the content creator can confirm the reservation statusdisplayed on the schedule time plan table 193, and appoint a desiredstart time (e.g., 10:00) and end time (10:59:59) with the cursor out ofthe “vacant” time schedule on the time schedule appoint bar 194, anddetermine a time schedule frame 194A in which to provide a content of alive video through my channel.

Due to the above, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 acknowledges as the reservedtime schedule frame data: the start time and end time indicated in thetime schedule frame 194A determined by the content creator, concurrentlydisplaying the letters “FULL” in the time schedule frame 194A, with thereserved time schedule frame data once recorded on the HDD 12.

Next, when the clicking is made on the category (music) icon 199oriented to the video genre of a live video out of the category icons196 to 204 displayed in the my channel genre display area 195, the CPU10 of the PC 2 acknowledges the category of the selected video genre as“music”, the result of which is once recorded on the HDD 12 as thecategory data.

At this time the CPU 10 of the PC 2 indicates the letters “music” in thetime schedule frame 194A on the time schedule appoint bar 194, replacingthe letters “FULL”.

Subsequently, when a check mark is put on the MPEG4, for example as acodec in providing a client PC 4 with a content of a live video out ofthe codec selection display area 205, the CPU 10 of the PC 2acknowledges the selected codec type as MPEGA4, the result of which isonce recorded on the HDD 12 as the codec type data.

Out of a commercial desired button 206 by which a client PC 4 wants acommercial video provided, affixed to the head portion of a content, anda commercial undesired button 207 by which a client PC 4 indicates thata commercial video is not desired to be provided, when the commercialdesired button 206 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of thePC 2 also creates commercial desired data by which a commercial video isdesired to be affixed to a content of a live video, which is oncerecorded on the HDD 12.

Thus, with various settings made to provide a live video of music liveas a content in my channel as described above, when the reservationbutton 208 is clicked by the content creator, the CPU 10 of the PC 2creates a new live type providing schedule control file 210 for mychannel as shown in FIG. 35, which is transferred to the managementserver 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5 to be recorded in theproviding schedule management database 38.

When a plurality of content creators make a reservation for providing acontent of a live video through my channel, the management server 36 ofthe ASP 32 puts a limitation on the number (e.g., up to 10 pieces) ofcontents of a live video allowed to be provided in the same timeschedule frame.

Accordingly, when the management server 36 of the ASP 32 detects thatthe number allowed to provide in a given time schedule frame desired bya content creator has reached the upper limit based on a providingschedule program invoked from the internal hard disk, it does not accepta live type providing schedule control file 210 for my channel to besent from the user PC 2 thereafter, and it retrieves image data on areservation unable message display screen stored in advance in theproviding schedule management database 38, which is transmitted to auser PC 2 over the Internet 5.

The CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the display unit 17 display a reservationunable message display screen 212 as shown in FIG. 36 based on the imagedata of the reservation unable message display screen, thereby notifyingthe content creator of the fact that “the desired time schedule frame isalready fully booked, in which to provide a content of a live video onthe real time”.

Because of this, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 can provide acontent of a live video to a client PC 4 without fail on the real-timewithout a tie-up or delay in providing a content due to possibleproblems on processing performance and the bandwidth of a line becausethe upper limit of the number of contents allowed to be providedsimultaneously can never be exceeded, thus preventing the quality of acontent of a live video from being deteriorated.

As described hitherto, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 can selects a method outof two; to provide a content of a live video on the real time at adesired time on a desired date reserved, or to provide through a publicchannel, or through my channel when all the public channels are alreadybooked.

Accordingly, the content creator of a user PC 2 is to select a method toprovide through my channel when providing a live video on the real timeover an amateur band he/she operates on, or it is possible to select amethod to provide through a public channel when providing a live videoof a famous professional artist.

The content providing service system 1 is designed such that either theon-demand type or live type may be selected as a content providing modein consideration of a content or users watching and listening in to thecontent.

(6-2) Connection Processing to ASP in the Live Type

Having finished reservation processing for the time and date on which toprovide the content of a live video, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 next letsthe display unit 17 indicate the live type personal casting controlscreen 170 (FIG. 29) again.

At this time the content creator recognizes the content of a reservationwhen providing the content of a live video by confirming the live typepersonal casting control screen 170, and starts recording on thephotographing spot with a digital video camera 18 (FIG. 3) when thereserved start time approaches, with the connection button 82 clicked toprovide the content of a live video on the real time.

Then, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 starts a routine RT7 shown in FIG. 37following the automatic upload of software at the start step, andproceeds to step SP51.

At step SP51, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 logs in to the ASP 32 with thenetwork interface 16 over the Internet 5 and ISP 31, and accesses theuser information database 37 in the ASP32 to obtain authentication basedon the user ID and password, etc., and then moving on to the next stepSP52.

At step SP52, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 lets the management server 36 ofthe ASP 32 confirm the content of a live type providing schedule controlfile 189 (FIG. 32) stored in the providing schedule management database38 based on the user ID and password, and then it moves on to the nextstep SP53.

Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 confirms the content of thelive type providing schedule control file 189 in the providing schedulemanagement database 38, so that the PC 2 can recognize the reservationstatus regarding a content of a live video to be provided.

At step SP53, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 is given an instruction command to“Transmit content of live video” from the management server 36 of theASP 32 when the reserved start time arrives, and judges whether thereserved start time has arrived based on that instruction command.

A negative result, if obtained at this point, means that the instructioncommand has not been given from the management server 36, and the CPU 10stands by until an instruction command is given from the managementserver 36 of the ASP 32.

On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained at the stepSP53, it means that the instruction command is given from the managementserver 36 of the ASP 32, and the CPU 10 judges that the start time hasarrived, and it proceeds to the step SP54.

At step SP54, the CPU 10 of the PC 2 starts a transferring process totransfer the content of a live video being recorded with the instructioncommand given from the management server 36 of the ASP 32 as the triggerto the management server 36 of the ASP 32 on the real time over theInternet 5. The process terminates at step SP55.

Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 records the content of thelive video transferred from the user PC 2 in the exclusive memory areain the content server 39 assigned to the public channel, which isstream-reproduced and provided to a client PC 4 requiring it on the realtime.

At this time the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges the Internetconnection charges occurring while the user PC 2 is transferring thecontent of the live video to the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, oriented tothe user ID of the user PC 2, and renews the charge data in the chargemanagement database 34.

Meanwhile, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 charges the serviceuse charge of the ASP 32, oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2, ofwhich charge data is transmitted to the charge management database 34via the network interface 41 and the network interface 35 of the ISP 31,renewing the charge data of the charge management database 34.

In the case that the user PC 2 has a fixed or flat rate service contractcalled “as-much-as-I-like course, the management server 36 of the ASP 32records only the connection period from connection start time and dateto connection end time and date on the user information DB table 45 inthe user information database 37, and no service use charge is charged,remaining fixed.

(6-3) Providing Processing of Content in the Live Type

Similarly to the case of receiving a supply of a content in theon-demand type, user registration is possible in the case where a clientPC 4 receives a supply of a content of a live video in the live type,and in this case, the user registration procedure is to be madefollowing the user registration procedure processing protocol of theroutine RT1 (FIG. 8). The management server 36 of the ASP 32 carries outthe registration of a viewer information file into the viewerinformation database 40, oriented to the user ID and password of theclient PC 4.

When user registration is not made, a client PC 4 may directly access,as a visitor, the Web site of the personal casting service provided bythe ASP 32. Only those clients PC 4 who made user registration areallowed to make a contribution easily to the content creator of acontent, by or with which they are moved or sympathize, or if they feelthe content is excellent.

In practice, when a content of a live video is provided to a client PC 4having conducted user registration through my channel in the live typefor example, the management server 36 of the ASP starts a routine RT8shown in FIG. 38 at the start step, following a content providingprogram invoked from the internal hard disk, and moves on to the stepSP61.

At the step SP61 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is logged in bythe client PC 4, and moves to the next step SP62, referring to theviewer information file in the viewer information database 40 based onthe user ID and password transmitted from the client PC 4.

At the step SP62 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whetherthe client PC 4 logging in is a registered regular user as a result ofhaving referred to the viewer information file in the viewer informationdatabase 40 based on the user ID and password.

A negative result here, if obtained, indicates that the user ID andpassword do not match those registered in the viewer informationdatabase 40, and then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 returns tothe step SP61, prompting the client PC4 to enter the correct user ID andpassword to perform the log-in processing again.

If an affirmative result is obtained at the step SP62, it means that theclient PC 4 is a registered regular user, and the management server 36of the ASP 32 proceeds to the next step SP63.

At step SP63, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the HTMLfile of the homepage of the personal casting service from the contentserver 39 responding to the access by the client PC 4, which istransferred to the client PC 4 from the network interface 41 over theInternet 5.

At this stage the client PC 4 receives at its CPU the HTML file of thehomepage of the personal casting service transmitted from the ASP 32,which is displayed on the display unit as a homepage screen 125 (FIG.25).

When the live type my channel selection button 130 in the live modeselection display area 128 is clicked by the user on this homepagescreen 125, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a mode selection signalindicating the selection of the live type my channel selection button130 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5.

At step SP64, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the HTMLfile forming a genre display screen for my channel from the contentserver 39 based on the mode selection signal transmitted from the clientPC 4, which is transmitted from its network interface 41 to the clientPC 4 over the Internet 5.

Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the genredisplay screen for my channel transmitted from the ASP 32, which isshown on the display unit as a genre display screen 135 (FIG. 26) for mychannel.

When any one (e.g., the “music” category icon 139) of the category icons136 to 144 is clicked by the user of a client PC 4 on this genre displayscreen 135 for my channel, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a genreselection signal matching the “music” category icon 139 to themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5.

At step SP65, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 retrieves the HTMLfile forming the live video schedule display screen regarding the videocategory “music” from the content server 39 based on the genre selectionsignal transferred from the client PC 4, which is transmitted from itsnetwork interface 41 to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5.

Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file forming the livevideo schedule display screen transferred from the ASP 32, which isshown on the display unit as a live video schedule display screen 220for my channel as shown in FIG. 39.

On the live video schedule display screen 220 for my channel are formeda calendar display area 221 indicating dates, schedule content displayarea 222 indicating a providing schedule on which to provide the contentof a live video through my channel, and channel type display area 224indicating the channel name currently being provided in my channel.

The current date (e.g., February 19) is displayed in a shaded frame 221Aon the calendar display area 221, so that the user of the client PC 4can easily acknowledge the current date.

On the schedule content display area 222 is indicated a time scheduleframe (a period from 15:00 to 16:59:59) of the content of live video theASP 32 can provide at the current time (e.g., 15:10), which indicatesthat a content of each live video can be provided at the current timethrough my channel matching plural types (up to 10 Ch) of channelbuttons 225 to 229 displayed in the channel type display area 224.

At step SP66, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether adesired channel button (“Kimura” channel) 226 for example is selected bythe user of the client PC 4 watching the live video schedule displayscreen 220 for my channel.

In this case, the CPU of the client PC 4 acknowledges a URL set uporiented to the selected channel button 226, and a channel selectionsignal indicating that the URL is transmitted to the management server36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5, by which the management server 36of the ASP 32 acknowledges that the desired channel button 226 isclicked when the channel selection signal is received.

A negative result at step SP66, if obtained, indicates that none of thechannel buttons 225 to 229 displayed in the channel type display area224 on the live video schedule display screen 220 is selected, and thenthe management server 36 of the ASP 32 stands by until any one of thechannel buttons 225 to 229 is selected.

If an affirmative result is obtained at the step SP66, however, it meansthat a user-desired channel button 226 is click-selected out of thechannel buttons 225 to 229, and then the management server 36 of the ASP32 proceeds to the next step SP67.

At the step SP67 the management server 36 of the ASP 32stream-reproduces movie data with commercial of a live video to beprovided at the time of clicking out of the exclusive memory area(oriented to the “Kimura” channel) in the content server 39, which istransmitted to the client PC 4 over the Internet 5, and it proceeds tothe next step SP68, where the processing terminates.

Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 lets the display unit show the contentdisplay screen 240 of the live video as shown in FIG. 40 based on themovie data with commercial of the content transferred from the ASP 32,first displaying the commercial video in a movie display area 241located in the center of the content display screen 240 followed by amovie showing the state of the music live.

The content of a live video being transmitted to the client PC 4, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 can not provide the content from thebeginning as done in the on-demand type, so that the content of the livevideo is provided from midway, reproduced in streaming at the moment ofthe clicking.

Even in this case, however, when the commercial providing request is setto “with commercial” by the content creator of the user PC 2, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 transmits the commercial video to theclient PC 4 without fail before providing the content of the live video.

Accordingly, the client PC 4 can not watch and listen in to the contentof the live video immediately from the moment when the user-desiredchannel button 226 is clicked, but the content of the live video can bewatched and listened in to only after the commercial video is firstwatched and listen in to.

In this way, even when providing a content of a live video to a clientPC 4, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is designed to force theuser of the client PC 4 to watch and listen in to the commercial videoregardless of the user's will.

At this time the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges the Internetconnection charge occurring while the user PC 2 is transmitting themovie data of a content of a live video to the ASP 32 over the Internet5, oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2, resulting in the renewal ofthe charge data in the charge management database 34.

At the same time the management server 36 of the ASP charges the serviceuse charge occurring while the movie data of the content of the livevideo being supplied from the user PC 2 over the Internet 5 isreproduced and streamed through the content server 39, oriented to theuser ID of the user PC 2, of which data is registered on the userinformation DB table 45 in the user information database 37, the contentcharge is simultaneously recorded in the charge management database 34through the network interface 41 and the network interface 35 of the ISP31.

In the case that the user PC 2 has a fixed or flat rate service contractcalled “as-much-as-I-like course, the management server 36 of the ASP 32records only the connection period from connection start time and dateto connection end time and date on the user information DB table 45 inthe user information database 37, and no service use charge is charged.Thus, the fee remains fixed.

On the other hand, when a content of a live video is provided to auser-registered client PC 4 through a public channel for example, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 enters into a routine RT9 shown inFIG. 41. The start step follows a content providing program beinginvoked from the internal hard disk.

The steps SP71 to SP73, being similar to the steps SP61 to SP63 of theroutine RT8 where a content of a live video is provided through mychannel, the management server 36 of the ASP transfers the HTML file ofthe homepage of the personal casting service to a client PC 4 throughthe network interface 41 over the Internet 5.

Thus, the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the personal castingservice transmitted from the ASP 32, which is displayed on the displayunit 17 as the homepage screen 125 (FIG. 25).

When the live type public channel selection button 129 in the live modeselection display area 128 is clicked by the user on this homepagescreen 125, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a mode selection signalindicating the selection of the live type public channel selectionbutton 129 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet5.

At step SP74, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the HTMLforming the channel display screen for public channels from the contentserver 39 responding to the mode selection signal transmitted from theclient PC 4, which is transmitted to the client PC 4 from its networkinterface 41 over the Internet 5.

Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 receives the HTML file of the channeldisplay screen for the public channel transferred from the ASP 32, whichis displayed on the display unit as a channel display screen 245 for thepublic channels as shown in FIG. 42.

When any one (e.g., the “music live” channel icon 247) out of videochannel icons 246 to 249 is clicked by the user of the client PC 4 onthis channel display screen for the public channels 245, the CPU of theclient PC 4 transmits a channel selection signal matching the “musiclive” channel icon 2347 to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 overthe Internet 5.

At step SP75, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 retrieves the HTMLfile forming the live video schedule display screen for the publicchannels regarding the “music live” channel from the content server 39based on the channel selection signal transferred form the client PC 4,which is transmitted from its network interface 41 to the client PC 4over the Internet 5.

Thus, the PC 4 receives the HTML file forming the live video scheduledisplay screen for the public channels transferred from the ASP 32,which is shown on the display unit as the live video schedule displayscreen 255 for public channels (255) as shown in FIG. 43.

On the live video schedule display screen for the public channels 255are formed a calendar display area 256 indicating dates, and schedulecontent display area 257 indicating a providing schedule on which toprovide a content of a live video regarding the selected “music live”channel.

The current date (e.g., February 19) is displayed in a shaded frame 256Aon the calendar display area 256, so that the user of the client PC 4can easily acknowledge the current date.

On the schedule content display area 257 is indicated the title of acontent of a live video to be provided by the ASP 32 on February 19. Inthis case, it means a content of “∘Δ live” is to be provided in a firsttime schedule frame 257A from 6:00 to 8:59:59, content of “xx tour” in asecond time schedule frame 257B from 10:00 to 10:59:59, and a content of“XA concert” in a third time schedule frame from 21:00 to 23:59:59.

On the live video schedule display screen 255 for the public channelsappears the second time schedule frame 257B matching the current time ina different color from those for the first time schedule frame 257A andthe third time schedule frame 257C in the schedule content display area257 at the current time (e.g., 10:09), whereby letting the user of aclient PC 4 easily recognize that the content of “xx tour” can bewatched and listened in to on real time as at the current moment.

At step SP76, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether thesecond time schedule frame 257B is available at the current time (e.g.,10:09) an whether it is click-selected by the user of the client PC 4watching the live video schedule display screen 255 for the publicchannels.

In this case, the CPU of the client PC 4 recognizes a URL set up to the“music live” channel of the public channels when the second timeschedule frame 257B selected, and a channel selection signal indicatingthe URL is transmitted to the management server 36 of the ASP 32 overthe Internet 5, by which the management server 36 of the ASP 32acknowledges that the second time schedule frame 257B is selected whenthe channel selection signal is received.

A negative result at this step SP76, if obtained, indicates that thesecond time schedule frame 257B available at the current time out of theschedule content display area 257 is not selected, and then themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 stands by until the second timeschedule frame 257B is selected.

If an affirmative result is obtained at step SP76, however, it meansthat the second time schedule frame 257B is selected out of the schedulecontent display area 257, and then the management server 36 of the ASP32 proceeds to step SP77.

At step SP77, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reproduces instreaming the movie data (“xx tour”) with a commercial of a live videoto be provided in the “music live” channel at the time of clicking outof the exclusive memory area, oriented to the “music live” channel, inthe content server 39, which is transmitted to the client PC 4 over theInternet 5. The process then proceeds to the next step SP78, whichterminates the processing.

Thus, the CPU of the client PC 4 lets the display unit show a contentdisplay screen 260 of the live video as shown in FIG. 44 based on themovie data with commercial (“xx tour”) of the live video transferredfrom the ASP 32, and the live video (“xx tour”) matching the second timeschedule frame 257B selected through the “music live” channel in themovie display area 261 located in the center of the content displayscreen 260.

In this case, too, a content of a live video is to be provided,reproduced in streaming, from the moment of the second time scheduleframe 257B clicked, and when the commercial providing request of acontent is set to “with commercial”, the commercial video is firstprovided to the client PC 4 from the moment of the clicking, followingby the content of a live video.

Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 is to force the user of theclient PC 4 to watch and listen in to the commercial video regardless ofhis/her will even when providing a content of a live video to the clientPC 4 through a public channel.

At this time the control server 33 of the ISP 31 charges the Internetconnection charge occurring while the user PC 2 is transmitting themovie data of a content of a live video to the ASP 32 over the Internet5, oriented to the user ID of the user PC 2, resulting in the renewal ofthe charge data in the charge management database 34.

At the same time the management server 36 of the ASP records the serviceuse charge occurring while the movie data of a content of a live videobeing supplied from the user PC 2 over the Internet 5, is reproduced ina streaming format through the content server 39, oriented to the userID of the user PC 2, of which data is registered on the user informationDB table 45 in the user information database 37, and the service usecharge is simultaneously recorded in the charge management database 34through the network interface 41 and the network interface 35 of the ISP31.

However, in the case that a user PC 2 has a fixed or flat rate servicecontract called “as-much-as-I-like course, the management server 36 ofthe ASP 32 records only the connection period from connection start timeand date to connection end time and date on the user information DBtable 45 in the user information database 37, and no service use chargeis charged. Thus, the fee remains fixed.

(7) Contribution Processing by Client PC

The user of a client PC 4 is allowed to make a contribution easily to acontent creator if he/she is moved by or sympathizes with the contentprovided, or if he/she feels that a content is excellent.

When a user watching and listening to a content clicks a contributionbutton 167, 242, or 262 placed respectively on the content displayscreen 165 (FIG. 28) of the on-demand type displayed on the display unitbased on a movie file with commercial of a content downloaded from theASP32, or on the content display screen 240 (FIG. 40) and contentdisplay screen 260 (FIG. 44 of the live type displayed on the displayunit based on a movie with commercial of a content of a live video, theCPU of a client PC 4 has a contribution amount selection screen 270 asshown in FIG. 45 displayed next to the contribution buttons 167, 242,and 262 following a contribution program invoked from the internal harddisk (not shown in figure).

On this contribution amount selection screen 270 are formed contributionselection buttons 271 to 276 corresponding to the various amounts ofcontributions, and the user of a client PC 4 can click-select anycontribution selection button out of the same contribution amountbuttons 271 to 276 freely corresponding to an amount he/she wishes tocontribute.

Accordingly, when the user clicks the contribution selection button 272to make a contribution of 1,000, for example, the CPU of the client PC 4creates contribution data of the amount corresponding to the selectedcontribution selection button 272, which is transmitted to themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 over the Internet 5.

The management server 36 of the ASP 32 converts the contribution datatransmitted from the client PC 4 into points on the basis of a givenconversion rate, and retrieves a user information DB table 45 matchingthe content ID from the user information database 37, renewing theaccumulated number of points on the user information DB table 45 withthe points based on the contribution data.

The CPU of the client PC 4 creates charge data matching the contributiondata, which is transmitted to the management server 36 of the ASP 32over the Internet 5. Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32records the charge data for the contribution amount in a viewerinformation file in the viewer information database 40, along with theservice use charge for the ASP32 the client PC 4 used.

At the same time, the ISP 31, also charges the Internet connectioncharge occurring while the client PC 4 is receiving a supply of acontent from the ASP 31 over the Internet 5, of which the amount isrecorded in the viewer information file in the viewer informationdatabase 40 as well as in the amount management database 34.

Meanwhile, when a visitor other than registered users makes acontribution to the content creator, the click of the contributionbuttons 167, 242, or 262 by the visitor lets the CPU of the client PC 4display a contribution amount selection screen 270 (FIG. 45) as well asan input screen (not shown in the figure) for a credit card number andother information, with which the visitor makes a contribution,promoting the visitor to enter a credit card number.

Consequently, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits the credit cardnumber data and the contribution data of an amount corresponding to acontribution selection button to the management server 36 of the ASP 32over the Internet 5, which renews the number of accumulated points onthe user information DB table 45 with the points corresponding to thecontribution data.

The management server 36 of the ASP 32 transmits the contribution dataof the amount the visitor contributes to the charge management databaseof a credit card company based on the credit card number data,requesting the credit card company to perform charge processing on thecontribution by the visitor.

(8) Monthly Point Settlement Processing

Lastly, an explanation is given on the monthly points settlementprocessing by which a profit redistribution is made to a contentcreator, proportionate to the number of accumulated points on the userinformation DB table 45 calculated by the month, but before that,recapping the providing process procedure for content with commercialvideo to be provided to a client PC 4, a routine RT10 shown in FIG. 46is started at the start step, and it moves on to step SP81.

At step SP81, the CPU of a client PC 4 acknowledges that a desiredchannel button 155 is clicked by a user out of the channel displayscreen 150 (FIG. 27), and then the process proceeds to the next stepSP82.

At step SP82, the CPU of the client PC 4 transmits a content ID matchingthe selected channel button 155 to the management server 36 of the ASP32 over the Internet 5, and then the process proceeds to the next stepSP83.

At step SP83, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 turns on a contentproviding program invoked from the internal hard disk, and retrieves theon-demand type schedule control file 120 out of the providing schedulemanagement database 38 based on the content ID transmitted from theclient PC 4 for example, and after confirming the user ID and thecontent of a commercial request, it moves on the next step SP84.

At step SP84, after confirming the on-demand type providing schedulecontrol file 120, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whetherthe commercial request is set to “with commercial”.

A negative result, if obtained, means that a commercial video is notappended to a content “without commercial” to be provided to the clientPC 4. Then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to the stepSP87 to provide the movie file of the content not appended with acommercial video, which terminates the processing at step SP88.

If an affirmative result is obtained at step SP84, it means that thecommercial request is set to “with commercial” (i.e., a commercial videoaffixed to a content to be provided to a client PC 4). Then themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to step SP85.

At step SP85, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a contentof a movie file with commercial by appending a commercial video storedin the commercial management database 44 to the head portion of a moviefile stored in the content server 39, which is once stored in thecontent server 39. The process moves on to step SP86.

At step SP86, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the numberof accumulated points on the user information DB table file 45 in theuser information database 37 with the points occurred when a content ofthe movie file with commercial is provided to the client PC 4. Theprocess then proceeds to step SP87.

At step SP87, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out a contentof a movie file with commercial from the content server 39 when thecommercial request is “with commercial”, which is provided to the clientPC 4 over the Internet 5. Then, the process proceeds to step SP88, whichterminates the processing.

In the content providing system 1, when the management server 36 of theASP 32 reads out a content of a movie file with commercial from thecontent server 39 with the commercial request set to “with commercial”and provides it to the client PC 4, points are generated. The number ofaccumulated points on the user information DB table 45 is consequentlyrenewed.

Next, in the content providing system 1, recapitulation is made on themonthly points settlement processing procedure followed when performingprofits give-back processing for a content creator, matching the numberof accumulated points on the user information DB table 45 calculated bymonth. A routine RT11, shown in FIG. 47, is started at the start step,and it proceeds to the step SP91.

At step SP91, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 renews the userinformation DB table 45 by adding to it the Internet connection chargeto the ISP 31 and the service user charge of the ASP32 by the user PC 2(when the “as-much-as-I-like course” is set up, the service use chargeremains fixed), and it proceeds to step SP92.

At step SP92, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out themonthly number of accumulated points, referring to the user informationDB table 45 stored in the user information database 37, and it proceedsto step SP93.

At step SP93 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether thenumber of accumulated points left over is greater than a given number ofpoints.

A negative result here, if obtained, means that the number ofaccumulated points left over is not greater than a given number ofpoints. Then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves on to stepSP94.

At step SP94, since the number of accumulated points left over is notgreater than a given number of points, the management server 36 of theASP 32 performs an invoicing process of the service use charge at thecurrent time to a user PC 2 without conducting profit redistributionprocessing matching the number of accumulated points. Then the processproceeds to step SP101 which terminates the processing.

If an affirmative result is obtained at step SP93, it means that themonthly number of accumulated points left over is greater than a givennumber of points. Then management server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds tostep SP95 to perform profit redistribution processing, which isproportionate to the number of accumulated points.

At step SP95, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 subtracts theamount of the service use charge of the ASP 32, proportionate to thenumber of accumulated points on the user information DB table 45, andrenews the user information AB table 45 by subtracting the number ofpoints proportionate to the service use charge subtracted from thenumber of accumulated points on the user information DB table 45. Thenthe process proceeds to step SP96.

Thus, the service use charge charged through a credit card company fromthe APS 32 is subtracted or set off, so the content creator of a user PC2 is to receive a profit redistribution, which is proportionate to theaccumulated points.

At step SP96, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whether thenumber of accumulated points left over is greater than a given number ofpoints after the service use charge of the ASP32 is given back.

A negative result here, if obtained, means that the number ofaccumulated points left over is smaller than a given number of points.Then the management server 36 of the ASP 32 moves on to the next stepSP94 to perform invoicing processing on the service use charge. Theprocessing is terminated at step SP101.

On the other hand, if an affirmative result is obtained at the stepSP96, it indicates that the number of accumulated points left over isgreater than a given number of points. Then, management server 36 of theASP 32 proceeds to step SP97.

At step SP97, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 subtracts theamount of the Internet connection charge to the ISP 31 of a user PC 2proportionate to the number of accumulated points, and renews the userinformation DB table 45 by subtracting the number of pointsproportionate to the Internet connection charge subtracted from thenumber of accumulated points on the user information DB table 45. Thenthe process proceeds to step SP98.

Thus, the Internet connection charge demanded through the credit cardcompany is subtracted or set off, so the a content creator of the userPC 2 is to receive a profit redistribution proportionate to theaccumulated points following the service use charge of the ASP 32.

At step SP98, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 judges whetheraccumulated points are still left over at this moment, and if theaccumulated points greater than one million are left over, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 moves on to the next step SP99.

At step SP99, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 instructs thecredit card company to subtract the number of accumulated points overone million from the settlement data through the credit card company,and then renews the number of accumulated points by subtracting thenumber of accumulated points over one million from the number ofaccumulated points on the user information DB table 45. Then the processgoes back to step SP98.

If the number of accumulated points left over is smaller than onemillion points but greater than one hundred thousand at step SP98, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 proceeds to step SP100.

At step SP100 the management server 36 of the ASP 32 transfers pointdata on the portion of the number of accumulated points over one hundredthousand to an online communication sales company 6 over the Internet 5,and renews the number of accumulated points by subtracting the number ofpoints over one hundred thousand points from the number of accumulatedpoints on the user information DB table 45. The processing terminates atstep SP101.

In this case, the online communication sales company 6 acknowledgespersonal information including the address and e-mail address of acontent creator based on the contents of the user information SB table45 transferred from the ASP 32 at the time of user registration, anddelivers a given item (merchandise) proportionate to the number ofpoints over one hundred thousand to the content creator of user PC 2,whereby performing profit redistribution processing.

Furthermore, when the number of accumulated points left over is smallerthan one hundred thousand at the step SP98, the management server 36 ofthe ASP 32 moves to the step SP94 to perform invoicing processing on theservice use charge. The processing terminates at step SP101.

(9) Operations and Effects of the First Invention in the Present Mode ofEmbodiment

Structured as described hitherto, when the management server 36 of theASP 32 provides a content of a movie file with commercial to a client PC4 over the Internet 5, points are generated. The number of accumulatedpoints on the user information DB table 45 is renewed.

Then, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 performs such operations orprocessing as subtracting or setting off a given amount from the serviceconnection charges to the ASP 32 of a user PC 2, proportionate to theremaining number of points of the number of accumulated points,subtracting or setting off a given amount from the Internet connectioncharges to the ISP 31, subtracting or setting off a given amount fromthe settlement data through a credit card company, or providing an item(merchandise) to a content creator of a user PC 2 through an onlinecommunication sales company 6.

Thus, the management server 36 of the ASP 32 performs profitredistribution processing in various forms proportionate to the numberof accumulated points for a content creator who has created a content ofa movie file with commercial with the user PC 2, attracting a largenumber of accesses, whereby performing a fair profit redistributionprocessing to the interests of a commercial client 7, proportionate tothe degree of contribution by providing the content of a movie file withcommercial to a client PC 4.

Also, a fair profit redistribution processing is performed in thecontent providing system 1 proportionate to the number of times acontent of a movie file, with commercial, is provided. This encouragescontent creators to create many more excellent contents, andconcurrently enabling a new business model to be configured over theInternet 5 that may increase the number of accesses by clients PC 4.

Structured as described hitherto, the management server 36 of the ASP 32in the content proving system 1 performs a profit redistributionprocessing in various forms proportionate to the number of left-overpoints of the number of accumulated points generated proportionate tothe number of content providing times. Thus, a fair profitredistribution processing is preformed for the benefit of the contentcreators.

(10) Operation and Effect of the Second Invention in the Present Mode ofEmbodiment

Structured as described hitherto, when a user PC 2 makes a reservationfor the schedule of a content, selection is made, on a commercialproviding request screen 115 (FIG. 18) for example, on whether toprovide a content of a movie file, affixed with a commercial video, to aclient PC 4, thereby creating an on-demand type providing schedulecontrol file 120, which is transmitted to the control server 36 of theASP 32.

The management server 36 of the ASP 32 receives the on-demand typeproviding schedule control file 120, which is stored in the providingschedule management database 38.

When the commercial request is set to “with commercial” as the contentof the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 creates a movie file with commercialby affixing to the head portion of the movie file of the content to acommercial video supplied by a commercial client 7 in advance. The moviefile, with commercial, is stored in the commercial management database44, which is stored in the content server 39.

Upon receipt of a demand for the content from the client PC 4, themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 reads out the content of a moviefile, with commercial, from the content server 39 following theon-demand type providing schedule control file 120, which is transmittedto the client PC 4 over the Internet 5.

Because of the above, the client PC 4 first displays a commercial videoon the content display screen 165 (FIG. 28) based on the movie file withcommercial followed by the movie of the content, so that the user is tofirst watch and listen in to the commercial video when selecting adesired content regardless of whether the user is aware of a commercial.

In this way, in the content providing system 1, it is possible to letthe user of the client PC 4 watch and listen in to the commercial moviebefore the content. The user of client PC 4 merely selects the contentwithout being aware of a commercial. Thus, the commercial client 7 mayreceive benefits matching the advertisement effect of the commercialvideo, thereby letting the ASP 32 receive a remuneration proportionateto the advertisement effect from the commercial client 7. Therefore, itis possible to structure a business model, in which a fair profitredistribution is given to the content creator of a content affixed witha commercial video.

Structured as described hitherto, in the content providing system 1 themanagement server 36 of the ASP 32 stores in the content server 39 amovie file with commercial video created by appending a commercial videoto the head portion of the movie file of a content, and provides themovie file with commercial video following the on-demand type providingschedule control file 120 when receiving a demand for the content fromthe client PC 4. Thus, it is possible to let the user of a client PC 4watch and listen in to the commercial video without fail by the user ofthe client PC 4 merely selecting content.

(11) Other Modes of Embodiment

In the foregoing mode of embodiment, explanation is given on the casewhere a content of a movie is provided by the content server 39 ascontent storing and providing means. However, the present invention isnot limited to providing movies. A content of still images or a contentof music can also be provided. Moreover, an explanation is given on thecase where the commercial image is appended to a content asadvertisement information. However, the present invention is not limitedto that. It is also possible to append commercial sound. In this case,too, the same effects as in the above-described mode of embodiment canbe obtained.

Also, in the foregoing mode of embodiment, explanation is given for thefirst invention of the present invention, on the case where a profitredistribution program to give back profits is pre-installed in the harddisk in the management server 36 of the ASP 32 as profit redistributionprocessing means. Moreover, explanation is given for other aspects ofthe present invention, in the case where the content providing program,which provides either a movie file or a movie file with commercial as acontent from the content server 39 in accordance with the on-demand typeproviding schedule control file 120, is pre-installed in the hard diskof the management server 36. However, the present invention is notlimited to this. A profit redistribution program or a content providingprogram can be installed by means of reproducing a program storing mediacomposed of package media such as a Compact Disc-Read only Memory(CD-ROM) and Digital Versatile Disc (DVD) storing a profits give-backprogram or a content providing program. As well, a profit redistributionprogram or a content providing program can be installed by means ofreproducing program storing media such as a semiconductor memory ormagneto-optical disc capable of storing a profits give-back program or acontent providing program temporarily or permanently.

Furthermore, in the foregoing embodiments, explanation is given in thecase where a movie file with a commercial video which is created byaffixing a commercial video to the head portion of the movie file isstored in the content server 39 as content storing and providing means.The movie file with a commercial video is provided from the contentserver 39 under the control of the management server 36 in accordancewith the on-demand type providing schedule control file 120 as contentproviding condition data stored in the providing schedule managementdatabase 38 as storage means. However, the present invention is notlimited to this. A movie file with a commercial video created byaffixing a commercial video to the ending portion of the movie file canalso be provided.

Wired or wireless communication media such as a local area network anddigital satellite broadcast can be also used as means for storing aprofit redistribution program or a content providing program into thoseprogram storing media. Also, a variety of communication interfaces suchas a router or modem can be incorporated in the process of storing.

Furthermore, in the aforementioned embodiments, explanation is given onthe case where a client PC 4 is used as an object the management server36 of the ASP 32 provides a content to. However, the present inventionis not limited to this. A content can be provided responding to demandsthrough portable information terminals or mobile telephones having adisplay provided that they be connected over the Internet 5. It is alsopossible to provide digital video cameras or digital still cameras witha communication function. Moreover, in the PC 2 of the content creator,a content can be provided using the portable information terminals ormobile telephones having a camera. It is also possible to provide thecontent with the digital video cameras or digital still cameras with acommunication function.

Furthermore, in the foregoing embodiments, explanation is given on thecase where the Internet 5 is used as a network, however, the presentinvention is not limited to this. A variety of other networks composedof wired or wireless means can be used.

According to aspects of the invention described hitherto, the number oftimes of providing a content with a commercial video being equivalent tothe number of times clients watch and listen in to the commercial video,it is possible to carry out a fair profit redistribution by performing aprofit redistribution processing on the content providing means, andmatching the number of accumulated points proportionate to the number oftimes of providing the content.

According to other aspects of the invention described hitherto, whencontent providing condition data is set to a mode in which to provide acontent with advertisement information, a content with advertisementinformation is provided to a client in response to a demand for thecontent. This forces the user to watch and listen to the advertisementinformation without fail. Further, the user is not aware of theexistence of the advertisement information when demanding content.

While there has herein been described preferred embodiments of theinvention, those skilled in the art will recognize that various changesand modifications may be made. Therefore, to cover in the appendedclaims all such changes and modifications fall within the true spiritand scope of the invention.

1. A content providing apparatus, comprising: a receiver configured toreceive authentication information from a first information processingdevice identifying a user of the first information processing device; anauthentication unit configured to authenticate the user of the firstinformation device based on the authentication information if the userof the first information device is a registered user; a control unitconfigured to control the receiver to receive content supplied from thefirst information processing device and a channel name provided with thecontent if the authentication unit authenticates the user of the firstinformation device; and a providing unit configured to provide thecontent received by the receiver to a second information processingdevice over a network in response to a selection of the channel namerelated to the content from said second information processing devicereceived over network.